


We are bound, but we are not unbreakable

by Someone_end_me



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Go look up polarspaz on tumblr, I HATE yoda, I'm bringing the Je'daii back babeeeeeeeeey, Inspired By Tumblr, M/M, Non-Consensual Body Modification, Non-Consensual Mental Conditioning, Short, Their pact bond au is what heavily inspired this work, be warned, best for phone reading, go look up the je'daii, he gon get roasted son, i cannot stress my dislike of yoda enough, i'll provide linkage, if you like yoda you gon be sad, listen canon is fucking violent, put in his place by force ghosts, stupid little rotted green bean turd man, they ruled, they're dope, won't be changing that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2020-02-10
Packaged: 2020-08-13 12:30:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20174293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Someone_end_me/pseuds/Someone_end_me
Summary: Anakin and Obi-Wan go through some changes that they didn't exactly want.Go check out polarspaz on tumblr (the pact bond au is what this is heavily based on; here's the link: https://polarspaz.tumblr.com/tagged/pact-bond-AU)I love their fucking art it has rekindled my love of star wars and clone wars like the new movies never could





	1. And so it begins

The journey to Chilia 21L had been boring. Undescribingly boring. Anakin knew that the trip would be on the longer side of the missions they've done before, but he didn't think that he'd stuck in the Twilight for five hours. With six more to go! Obi-Wan may be content to sit on his ass and meditate, but Anakin wasn't Obi-Wan. 

_ No matter how badly the council wants me to be, I'll never be like Obi. Their perfect little Jedi soldier. _

Anakin had only brought four things to tinker with, and there were only so many 'repairs' he could do on R-2 before he completely rebuilt the poor droid. He didn't even have Snips with him to annoy and be annoyed in return!

Flopping onto his back, he began to toss the little contraption he'd built up in the air, doing small mini figure eights before letting it fall back into his hand. 

_ This is so fucking boring. _

"Anakin, using the force unnecessarily, isn't allowed. If the Jedi Council could see you, well, you know what'd they say."

Yeah, he knew. Yoda would look at him in pitiful disappointment, _ "Play with the force you must not. Only in battle, you should use. Hrmgh." _Windu would grunt and complain about how un-Jedi like he is, how they shouldn't trust a brat like him with so much responsibility, so much power.

_ I didn't ask for this. To go from being a slave on Tatooine to being a slave for the Republic, for the Jedi order. I didn't ask to be made. _

He loved his mother, missed her so much, but Ki-Adi Mundi made it clear that he was most likely human-made. Or was it force-made? Either way, it didn't matter; he wasn't a natural human being — only a mother and no father to speak of. That cone-head was one purist bastard. Anakin felt the force pulse around, responding to his displeasure.

He quickly crushed those feelings, hoping he acted fast enough so Obi wouldn't notice. The force calmed around him, returning to thick fog feeling it usually was. It's been like that, or instead, he's been more aware of the force, after that whole force planet, chosen one debacle.

_ I still have nightmares about those visions The Son showed me. Of what I became, could still become. _

He wouldn't let that happen.

"Anakin-Anakin!" Startling, he whipped around to look at Obi-Wan, who seem both fond and exasperated. "Lost in thought, my friend? I've been calling you for quite a while."

"Sorry, Obi-Wan. Just bored, simply trying to entertain myself." Jeez, he felt like such a child, getting lost in his head like he used to back on Tatooine at Watto's shop. The beatings he got for that stupid habit weren't overly bad; he'd seen worse done to others even younger than him.

"What are you thinking about, Anakin? You look so troubled." Anakin could _feel  _ Obi-Wan's concern through their bond. The bond they weren't supposed to have anymore, the one they kept alive as much as they could. They weren't padawan and master anymore. He had Ashoka, and Obi was a Jedi Master, he was on the council!

_ We're breaking so many rules. _

"Come sit next to me, Anakin." Patting the space on the hard metal floor next to him, Obi-Wan gave Anakin a blinding smile. One the younger couldn't resist.

_ And I don't care. I should; I should kill the bond. But I don't want to. _

Tucking himself as close to Obi-Wan's side as he could without getting scolded, he tried to settle his racing heart. It's been so long since they've been so close outside of sparring.

_ I don't think I ever will. _

Taking three deep breaths, in and out, focusing on the fog like force around him, in and out, focus on Obi-Wan through the bond, the intense calm and contentment the man felt, in and out, let your mind drift to nothing. Connect with it.

The force settled onto his skin, seeping through his pores, rattling pleasantly in his bones. He distantly heard Obi-Wan gasp, but he was seeing, feeling, breathing in the force that surrounded the two of them.

Obi-Wan's was a sweet sun yellow, white sparkles like dust particles or stars floating in it. Just like every Jedi, but Obi's always felt so much brighter. Gentler. Kinder.

He could see his own as well, dark red and shimmering emerald green. His mother used to tell him about the meanings of colors to get him to fall asleep, but he couldn't recall enough of the memories, so blurred by pain and guilt. The Jedi said that red was the color of Sith, of evil. But blood was the color of life, the color of love. Obi-Wan always turned a beautiful shade of red when he teased him.

_ Do I love Obi-Wan? _

** _ What does it matter? _ **

The Voice, soft, comforting, and so painfully similar to his mothers, swirled around his body. It touched his hand, legs, shoulders, brushed against his ears like a feather.

** _ We do not care. We're indifferent, our dearest. _ **

_ The council cares. _

** _ The council has become corrupted. They have lost the ways of Je'daii to war and time. So intensely focused on purity, on absolute devotion to the force. They are cruel. They're tactics make the Jedi they train weaker. _ **

_ What? What is the Je'daii? _

** _ Soon, beloved. Be wary. We see turmoil in your near future. Do not forsake your bonds. _ **

"Approaching Chilia 21L, please switch to manual control for decent."

And just like that, the Voice was gone. Anakin was left feeling groggy. His head still felt fogged over with the sheer amount force he must have experienced, but it was swirling around him like normal, and nothing had changed for Obi-Wan either. Time to get his head in the game and start the mission.

Man, he fucking hated diplomatic missions.


	2. For we are mere mortals playing the role of gods

Everything was blurry and painful, excruciatingly so. His hands burned, but the sensation came in waves as if something was desperately dulling the pain but couldn't quite handle the amount. There was also an odd tickle on his throat, and he hopelessly wanted to scratch it. When he tried, though, his hands were bound, palms facing upwards, by soft cuffs. He could only assume they were leather lined with some soft wool.

"The other....resisting....strong with that one....be wary." The light above him, softer than a surgical light but harsher than the candle glow he'd only just grown accustomed to on Chilia 21L.

_ I need to figure out what I can remember. I need to find Anakin. Think Obi-Wan; you're a damn Jedi Master. You can do this! _

Reaching out with the force, he felt around the room, looking for something. Anything helpful. There were some metal tools; the shape of them felt odd, some circular but also triangular design. Something cultural, perhaps?

Though they felt alarmingly similar to a branding iron.

_ What in the world happened!? Focus, Obi-Wan. Get your head back on right, then piece the puzzle together. _

Maybe he could find the latch on the cuffs? The more he used the force, the clearer his head felt. His bond with Anakin was blurry, fading in and out, but still burning; rage and fear and deep, unnerving, never-ending concern engulfed the bond. Anakin's intense emotions bled into his own, bolstering his displeasure, making him even more determined to find an escape.

_ I cannot allow them to harm him. If they so much as cut a single centimeter of hair off his head, they shall all BURN! _

That train of thought startled him to rupture his connection to the force and Anakin, that fuzzy feeling of being drugged returning in full.

"Something broke...they're still....he has calmed...this one is healthy...yes...keep the beast quiet."

The beast? Who was the beast? He prayed it wasn't Anakin, despite his vow to not form attachments, to put the lives and wants and needs of those in the Republic before his own and his fellow Jedis, he desperately hoped that it was some other poor unfortunate soul.

_ Please let it not be Anakin. Please, anyone who will listen, any being ethereal or not, please do not have my dearest be this beast. _

"He is still....we can not let him fight it....it does not....sedate him."

A form, blurry with patches of tan and linen-white skin, ridges flowing from the shoulder to the fingertips, smiled softly down at him. At least, he thought it was a smile; he could see a needle out of the corner of the eye.

"No," the form placed a hand on his cheek, forcefully moving his eyes back to their bleary face, "focus on me. I promise you...keep him safe..." the world was fading in and out again, just like it had after he drank the strange-smelling concoction the people's leader gave him and Anakin.

_ The drink! It must have been... _

"Sleep now....bond....tiring....you are safe." The form was finally swallowed by black, the feel of his eyelids falling shut against his will so horribly disorienting.

_ I do not feel safe. _

\----------------------------------

Anakin had slipt in and out of consciousness for what must have been hours now. Every once in a while, someone would come into the room and putz around. He could hear the sound of tools clanking and a steady drip, drip, drip by his left ear.

His throat hurt something awful, but it wasn't the worse pain he's been in. Being electrocuted was a thousand times worse.

_ Fuck you, Dooku. _

His head felt weird; his brain felt like it was submerged in mist.

_ Is it normal to feel your own brain? Probably not. _

He felt like he was high, or maybe drunk? He snuck off to that bar more often than Obi-Wan knew, or admitted, and he did more than drink.

_ Take that, Padme! I can't believe you actually thought I was a virgin! Wait, am I? I can't remember if I got laid that one time or if it was a dream I had after sneaking back into the temple? _

Someone was gently shaking his shoulder, his eyes blinking open despite the glue trapping his lids together. It was another one of those pretty natives; he wished he could remember why he wanted to snarl at them. He didn't like getting angry without a good reason, which happened more often than he liked to acknowledge.

The pretty native was smiling at him, moving sweaty hair off of his forehead, and suddenly, his mother was standing before him. Her smile brighter than the sun on Tatooine, crinkles by her eyes evidence of all the times he made her laugh, wrinkles in between her eyebrows evidence of all the time Watto beat him for something he didn't know he did wrong.

"Mo-mom." Shmi frowned at him, concern creasing her brow. Why was she upset, did he break the water filter again? He was just trying to make the hot water hotter.; she liked hot showers at the end of the day.

"Oh, little one, sleep for now. You need to rest." Her smile was sad; why was she sad? Was it because she couldn't come to the temple with him? He was sad about that too.

"Mi-miss you." He meant to say 'I'll miss you,' but 'miss you' seemed to fit for some strange reason.

"Close your eyes, little one." Shmi rubbed the bumpy pads of her fingers against his eyelids. He didn't remember them feeling like that, sure they were calloused, his were too, but they didn't feel like folded velvet. Wait, how did he know what velvet felt like?

His mother's fingers must have been magic because his eyes felt heavier than when there'd been glue on them. That must be why her fingers felt like velvet. She had magic just like he did!

"Sleep." His mother smoothed her magic fingers over his closed eyes one more time, the drip, drip, drip in his left ear becoming a drip, drip, drip, drip, drip.

He was so tired all of a sudden. Watto must have worked him hard today. He hated running around the shop, moving things to entertain that overgrown fly.

_ The smell of blood was so heavy. The room lit only by the small fire in the corner. Her hands crudely bound with strips of leather, the skin raw and red. She must have fought so hard in the beginning. Force only knows what they did to break her spirit. He wanted to cry. He wanted to scream. He wanted Obi-Wan; he wanted Obi-Wan so desperately. The older Jedi would know what to do, wouldn't he? He'd know how to save his mom. _

_ Her body was so slack when he took her off the posts, her eyes rolling back into her head. Her neck was like oobleck, causing her head to loll around and reopen the semi-circle cut on her cheek. The blood was sluggish, not quite old enough to not move, but not quite fresh enough to flow. _

_ "An-Annie?" Her body was suddenly so stiff. His hands were shaking so badly. It took all of his power to hold her and not cry. "Is it you?" _

_ Oh force, her voice was so weak and quite. It reminded him of when she would talk about colors to get him to fall asleep. Why now of all times was he remembering such a happy thing? _

_ "I'm here, mom. You're safe." And she was, that was the only thing he could guarantee her, he could feel the life slowly leaving her. He had never been aware of the force before, failing miserably at any meditations much to Yoda's passive despair, but he could feel it now. It felt sad, almost like it didn't want her to leave, like it knew what a kind and loving woman the world would lose. _

_ "Annie? Annie?" Could she not see him!? He was there! Anakin wanted to scream 'I'm here, I'm here! I'm never leaving you again!' And he never would because he wasn't the one dying. He forced a smile, desperately wanting to make her last moments happier than they truly were. "Oh, you look so handsome." Shmi placed her hand on his cheek, the once soft callouses now made so much harsher by the dry and cracked skin. Her voice was so, so very raspy. He didn't want to think about how it got so hoarse, but he knew. _

_ He kissed her palm. There was nothing Anakin could do for her, and he hated that. He felt helpless and horrible, but that was nothing new. He's felt helpless all his life. What could a slave do? _

_ "My son, oh, my grown-up son." Shmi sounded so happy and so sad, how could someone even feel those emotions at once? "I am so proud of you, honey." _

_ "I missed you," his eyes burned, but he refused to cry, not here, not now. He couldn't cry in front of his mother when she was dying in such a horrible way; he had to be strong for her, make it better for her. But all of his emotions were so strong right now; he was so sad and afraid and angry. Ha, he could hear the council in the back of his head, berating him for feeling sad about the death of his mother. For feeling angry, no not angry, murderous, at those damn Tusken raiders. _

_ "Now, I am complete." Her shawl was so rough on his hands, the knit frayed from time and use. Anakin remembered watching her make it in utter fascination; watching her knit the very shawl she would die in is what inspired his love for machines. "I love you." _

_ The dusty room was swirling around them, and he could feel himself talking, could see the life fading from her eyes, but the room was spinning. The edges of his vision were fading into black nothingness. Like it was all some fever dream. But he knew it was real! The memories still haunted him to this day! _

_ Wait. This day? But his mother was dying now, right there in his arms. Why could he see himself holding her!? How had he never noticed the sluggish pool of blood forming at his feet!? _

_ He watched his mother go limp in his younger self's arms, the blood around them reaching up to him with tendrils. His body felt as though it was on fire. His ribs felt like they were splitting. _

_ The tendrils of his mother's blood wrapped around his ankles, yanking him down to her limp, lifeless body floating in black, heartless space, inch by terrifying inch. The grip felt like bands of fabric tightly wound around him, creeping higher and higher. Digging into his skin and forming ridges. _

_ "Mo-mom?" Her prone form was twitching, fingers grasping at nothing, dark red foam leaking from her mouth. She was reaching for something. _

_ She was reaching for him. _

\----------------------------------

Obi-Wan woke with a start, sweat dripping from his forehead, his heart racing from some unknown terror.

He had to find Anakin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun facts, i like torturing my favortite characters


	3. Piece by broken piece we reform

Honestly, at this point, Obi-Wan was just done. When he had fully woken up for the second time, entirely clear-headed and ready to get Anakin and himself off of this blasted planet, he found he was strapped down with even more of those damnable soft restraints. And, to add insult to injury, he was given a voluntary muscle paralyzer to ensure he stayed still.

Wonderful.

One of the natives, it appeared to be the same on who administered the anesthetic to him earlier, walked into the room, startling when they noticed he was awake.

"Good evening." Obi-Wan prided himself on being diplomatic in all situations, but that doesn't mean he can't be a passive-aggressive little shite. Anakin would be so proud. Yoda would be horrified.

_ Why does that fact make me so utterly amused? Incurring any negative emotion from Master Yoda typically fills me with dread? _

"Good morning, actually. How are you feeling?" The native, appearing to be female if their coverings were any indication. She, he was positive the native was a she, smiled sweetly at him — not something he usually experienced from his captors.

"A bit claustrophobic, to be completely honest." She giggled at that, giggled! What in force's name was happening here?

"Sorry about that, Chief Yi'hadds was very insistent that you're made unable to escape. I think it's a bit overboard, but she is my master, and her word is law. Especially when she gets like this."

He remembered the chief, a blunt leader similar to Master Windu. Her tribal adornments were much more complicated than her companion, who was now tending to his I.V bag in much simpler clothing. Those should have been his first clue that things were not as expected, but he was optimistic about a new alliance with such a resource-rich planet.

"I mean truly, with such an unruly master, what's a boy to do?" Ok, so he was wrong. The native continued with his small talk, putzing around the room. Cleaning up this or that, occasionally fixing his robes, which made Obi-Wan incredibly uncomfortable. "Your beast is terribly cute. The way he twitches in his sleep is simply fascinating to watch."

His beast? Was he talking about Anakin? Anakin wasn't a beast, regardless of the nonsense Ki-Adi Mundi spouts about the details of the boy's birth. What in the world have these monsters done to Anakin for this man to dub him 'beast'?

"What do you mean by beast, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Oh, how rude of me! But do not worry Chief Yi'hadds will explain everything to the two of you once your beast is fully conscious."

_ How wonderfully ominous. _

"Then, I eagerly await her arrival." Obi-Wan hoped that the smile on his face was as murderous as he felt, a mood he rarely experienced, and by the side-ways glance the native gave him on his way out, it was.

Good.

\----------------------------------

It felt like hours had passed since Obi-Wan last saw that pink tan-ish native, and he was bored. He has moved away from being worried, the way that native talked about Anakin must have meant the young Jedi was in no danger, and all his exhaustion has caused him to be disgustingly bored. Damn that stupid mush colored native.

_ I do not feel the least bit sorry about comparing his skin to the disgusting nutrient mush the doctors at the temple serve! Even though I maybe should, that stuff is horrible. I wouldn't even compare Dooku to that stuff. _

Finally, the door opened, and the mush native reappeared in full regalia, followed by Chief Yi'hadds and, dear force, Anakin! His beloved was free of any binds, thankfully, but he was stumbling like he was drunk. Or drugged. A pair of natives were supporting him, making sure Anakin didn't fall on his face, which sported a gradually fading smile the closer he got to Obi-Wan.

"And at last, they are united!" Chief Yi'hadds gave him a condescending smile, motioning at the leather chaining him to the medical bed. Mush smiled genuinely at him, beginning the process of removing his binds "Master and beast, together as they should be." She nodded to the pair of natives supporting Anakin, who was glaring at the ground in confusion, and they tossed his semi-limp body towards the medical bed.

Obi-Wan barely caught Anakin, cradling his beloved into his chest, pulling Anakin onto the bed with him. Yi'hadds signaled for the other two to leave, giving him another condescending smile.

"I shall leave you two to get reacquainted, as well as fully recover. Which should go much smoother for your beast now that he is in your presence." Chief Yi'hadds and Mush left, and he didn't even try to stop them, to preoccupied with checking Anakin over for wounds.

The door shut with a thunderous slam. The force seemed to awaken around them once it did, Obi-Wan could almost _see _it swirling around their bodies, pink with white sparkles twisting around the room. Pulsing like it had a heartbeat.

** _ Be wary. More turmoil is to come. _ **

What in the world was happening?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ten points if you can guess what the bold words are


	4. Something new and utterly unholy awaits us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I HC the natives to be force sensitive like the twi'lek, they just experience the force in a different way *wink wink nudge nudge*....they're basically like anakin, beings that have the force as a genetic part of them to some degree.

His throat hurt, his head was pounding. Everything hurt. His bones ached like he'd been beaten over and over. He thought he could feel each individual fiber of his muscles twitching and spasming.

"Anakin? Anakin, darling, please talk to me."

Was that Obi-Wan? It sounded like his master but so far away like cotton was in his ears, and Obi-Wan was standing at the end of a long tunnel. But he had to answer him.

"I-I'm go-good." Oh, force, his throat hurt so much, it burned and itched. The skin felt raw, stretched too thin to be considered skin.

"Oh, Anakin. I'm so sorry I let this happen." Obi's hand running through his hair felt so lovely, it calmed something inside his belly. Something hulking, curled like a viper ready to strike. He could almost feel the venom dripping into his veins, scorching his mind like fire. He felt so indescribably angry before Obi started petting him, it terrified him to no end.

"We'll," he had to clear his throat several times, which was a mistake in of itself, to understand himself, "we'll figure something out."

"Of course we will, beloved. Let me see if I can find you some water." Obi-Wan made to get up, moving him off his chest.

_ NO! MINE! _

"No!" Anakin made a desperate grab for Obi-Wan's quickly departing form, falling off the bed in the process; he didn't even know why he was desperate to keep the other man close to him. He just felt so vulnerable without him there. He needed to protect Obi-Wan, and he couldn't do that if he weren't plastered to the man's side. 

_ What is wrong with me? _

"Anakin, sit back down!" It felt like a switch flipped in his mind; everything slowed down to the speed of a Purrgil. He watched Obi-Wan's face morph into almost comical horror as his own body went rigid, standing up then sitting back down on the bed. All while his mind screamed, _ 'something is horribly wrong!' _

He shared Obi-Wans terror.

\----------------------------------

What? What in the world was happening?

Obi-Wan felt like he's proposed that question to the void one too many times today.

He was expecting Anakin, in all his lovable stubbornness, to scramble to his unsteady feet. Defy his orders like he so often did. But, to his mounting dread, the young Jedi stood up stiffly then sat back down on the medical bed. The terror in Anakin's eyes was his only clue that the man did not mean to do that.

"An-Anakin?" The younger flinched at his name, wrapping his arms around his stomach. "Anakin, what just happened?"

"I don't know. Obi-Wan, I think they did something to me. Put something in me that's not supposed to be there." Anakin looked like fear incarnate, his eyes desperate, with what appeared to be a yellow tinge around the edges of the iris. Obi-Wan could relate.

"Let me...let me just check. Where do you feel it?"

"My stomach, low in my gut. It feels like something is waiting for Obi, something terrible." Anakin curled around his abdomen, even more, becoming little more than a ball.

Obi-Wan gently placed his hand on top of Anakin's prosthetic, making sure to keep his posture open. He had a sneaking suspicion of what happened to his dear friend. Resting a hand atop of Anakin's stomach, he reached out with the force, straining to ensure it stayed gentle and kind. Making sure it stayed fluid, open to _rejection_.

There was a mass of dark red, almost black, force settled just below the liver, writhing like a coiled snake. It felt murderous yet obedient at the same time, so very angry and anxious, desperate to unleash its fury but only with permission. His permission, he can only assume.

"It's not a creature, Anakin. They did something to you, and it changed your force signature. Made a wad of it collect just below your liver, and it seems almost sentient." He looked into Anakin's terrified eyes, feeling helpless and awful. "I'm not quite sure what to do, beloved."

"Why do you call me that? You say it all the time."

_ What? I've only recently been calling him that out loud; actually, I only started once he entered this room. _

"What do you mean? I've only called you that since you entered this room." He wasn't quite ready to admit he called the younger that in his head almost daily.

"But, but I hear your voice say it all the time? Especially when we're meditating together."

"Anakin, dear, I try not to talk during meditation. You know this."

What in the world was happening, truly Obi-Wan has never felt so lost.

\----------------------------------

_ What in the world is happening? Was the Voice using his words? But if he never said it out loud before this, then how could it? _

"I hear this voice, more clearly when I meditate. It sounds like you, but it also sounds like others. My mother, Mace, sometimes Ahsoka. I hear Plo-Kun and Fisto every couple of words, but that's rarer." Obi-Wan stared at him, not with confusion like Anakin expected, but like he just realized something.

"I've heard it too. Only once, and only recently. Right after the natives tossed you into my arms just a little while ago, it sounded like Yoda and Luminara. It said 'be wary. More turmoil is to come.'"

"It said that to me too, along with something about not forsaking my bonds. It also talked about the Je'daii a lot, but that was the only word that didn't have the voice of someone I already know."

Obi-Wan looked like he was putting the puzzle pieces together.

_ Force, he looks hot when he does this whole detective thing. _

The door to the cell opened, a soft mechanical swishing sound alerting them to the presence of the natives.

"Ah," Chief Yi'hadds and her lackey sauntered in, "you both appear sufficiently recovered. Shall we return to the banquet hall?"

He felt a snarl rise his chest, the angry something in his stomach slithering up into his chest, slinking up into his throat.

"Anakin." And just like that, all the violence he felt was doused, like the time Ahsoka poured ice-cold water on him when he slept in and missed their training session; the something falling back into his stomach so hard Anakin physically felt as though he got punched in the stomach. "That would be wonderful. Maybe now we could get some answers."

Chief Yi'hadds nodded, Anakin following behind Obi-Wan with an eerie similarity to the chiefs lackey.

\----------------------------------

Anakin was twitchy, his nervousness showing through his picking at the prosthetic hand.

"Anakin, stop that." It wasn't good for his prosthetic, Viguk would get mad at the Jedi again, but Obi-Wan watched the dawning horror in Anakin's eyes as his flesh hand snapped to his side.

_ Oh. Oh, dear. I think I know what's happening here. _

"Truly, you two should view it as a gift." Chief Yi'hadds turned to him, completely ignoring Anakin. Wait. Was she talking to them?

_ I so focused on Anakin I didn't even realize, what a spectacular Jedi master I am....oh no. I sound like Yoda. _

Suppressing a shudder, he turned to Yi'hadds and tried to mask his confusion. He didn't think it was working.

"You were not listening, were you?" It was the first time Obi-Wan saw a smile on the chief's face that didn't look arrogant; this one looked nostalgic and fond. "I was like that when Hen'oi and I first bonded. I could only focus on him, and it was a truly magical time."

_ Oh, so that's Mush's name....I'm still going to call him Mush in my head. _

His pattern of thought was becoming similar to what he assumed Anakin's was like, which gave him even more proof for his suspicions. They had done something to the two of them that resembled the bond that they themselves share. A bond he could only assume all the natives shared with at least one other.

Oh no. Oh, no, no, no. From the sparse information the Republic had on this species, they couldn't be any more genetically different from humans! Even if Anakin was a child of the force, he was still chiefly human, from a genetics standpoint.

"It still feels like that for me, my master." Mush smiled lovingly up at Chief Yi'hadds, who caressed his face like they were lovers. Maybe they were lovers, Obi-Wan was slowly falling more and more out of his depth, and he hated it.

"Did you, did you do that to us?" Anakin sounded emotionless, the look in his eyes blank.

_ The council would be proud. I should be proud of him. This is what a Jedi should be, centered and free of emotional distractions. Why does it feel so wrong coming from Anakin? Why does it feel so much like I'm looking ina mirror? _

"But of course." Yi'hadds looked confused at the lack of glee coming from Anakin, tilting her head in a childlike manner. "You are so strong with the force and so very impassioned. All of us can feel the unbridled darkness pouring out of you. It reminded me so much of my dear Hen'oi before we had our bonding ceremony, he was so volatile. All beasts are before their bonding, but my little spitfire here was even more so." Mush giggled. How is this happening? What's with this relaxed attitude?

He could feel the murderous anxiety rising in Anakin, and he didn't quite know what to do. He didn't want to command him, Anakin wasn't his slave and Obi-Wan was no longer his master.

Anakin's body seemed to be turning into slowly moving mist. Obi-Wan was trying desperately to pay attention to what Chief Yi'hadds was saying, but his concern for Anakin was growing more monumental with each passing second.

** _ FOCUS! All will be right at the end of it all. Listen to the tame-r. _ **

The Voice. The last word was broken up into two voices, one of Windu the other Satine. He could almost hear the word _'her' _in Satine's silvery voice. The Voice was trying urgently to say ' _ tamer.' _

"You are a bonded pair now. One is now master, and one is now beast. One commands and one obeys. A concept that should not be foreign to you, Jedi." Obi-Wan was losing the ability to contain his horror; the more Chief Yi'hadds spoke, the worse their fate seemed.

** _ Listen, the information she gives will guide you. _ **

Pushing himself to focus once again, he grits his teeth and stays silent.

"Be careful. Separation would only ensure death. Of course, you two may be apart but ease into it. Your bond is still very new."

"That can't be. We are fighting a war. There must be a way."

The swirling mist of Anakin's body suddenly moved faster, his hair waving as if being caressed by a soft breeze. The mistlike effect grew harsher lines, and Obi-Wan noticed that Anakin's eyes tinted a stark yellow rivaling the brilliance of a G2V star.

And all of a sudden, like a babe slipping free of its mother, a booming pop of breaking bone and an ear-splitting roar was heard. And just like that, Anakin was gone. In his place was a hulking black and gray beast, ridges on the bulky arms, slits lava orange on the ribs. Gigantic, pearly white fangs had replaced all of Anakin's teeth, no lips to speak of, so they were completely exposed. The 'skin' of his arms smoothed out to form a hood with a separation, similar to the scar going over Anakin's left eye. That was Obi-Wan's only real clue that this, this thing, was Anakin.

A tongue of fire yellow, exposed with the roar Beast Anakin let out, seemingly spewing out a sulfuric smelling vapor of the same yellow as the tongue fading into bright orange the farther out it reached.

Beast Anakin lunged for the two natives, baring his teeth and growling like an Acklay.

"NO! ANAKIN STOP! STOP!" Obi-Wan rushed in front of Beast Anakin, praying everything he guessed about this bond was correct.

As he stared into the glowing eyes of this new form of Anakin's, he had very few thoughts flowing into his brain.

_ I will have nightmares of this day for years to come. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lordy I am living for these comments!! S/o to anesor for letting me know about the mental conditioning tag. If anyone thinks a tag should be added let me know, I want to make sure that anyone new to this fic knows generally what they're getting into. and anything I think warrants a warning before the chapter starts will be posted in the before chapter notes, and if anyone thinks a warning should be added just let me know the chapter and I will add it in. I want everyone to be comfortable and feel safe reading this.  
Purrgils appear in Star Wars Rebels and theyre like giant space whale squid looking things (https://www.starwars.com/news/8-star-wars-creatures-we-want-to-hitch-a-ride-on)  
Acklay are just gross sand crab things (https://www.starwars.com/news/the-starwars-com-10-best-monsters)


	5. A horror that we have never before known

He had gotten Anakin calm, but he remained in the horrific beastly form, the soft velvet of his new skin rippling as his muscles tensed and relaxed.

"He certainly is a feisty one, perhaps we should send him to reconditioning." Chief Yi'hadds posture was contemplative and composed, but Obi-Wan, Obi-Wan, was positively furious. 

_ Conditioning?! What in force's name do they do to people here?! _

"Oh Master, is that really necessary?" Mush's posture was more agreeable: he looked concerned, apprehensive, awkward. "I'm sure it must just be the shock, they are both very new to this after all."

Even though Obi-Wan couldn't see the Chief's eyes past the head coverings, he could see she was more than a little furious.

"Hen'oi, I know you care for your fellow beast, but this behavior is not only improper but dangerous. I can not, in good conscience, let them leave when the boy acts like this."

"Chief Yi'hadds!" Another one of the natives, a blue one with purple clothing, ran up to the Chief, followed closely by a pale yellow native with the same dress as Mush. "The Republic has requested we send the Jedi back immediately, or we risk their allegiance." Chief Yi'hadds sneered at this newcomer, a wicked thing that almost rivaled Anakin's new face. 

"And why exactly are they suddenly so concerned with having their representatives back, Mafav?" Obi-Wan observed the exchange carefully, watching as the yellow native appeared to crouch, a low growling coming from them, but startled when both Mush_ and _ Anakin began growling in response.

"Evu, calm yourself!" Mafav snapped at yellow, or rather Evu. "One of the other Jedi, a young Togruta female, has apparently been admitted to their infirmary. They are demanding her master, Jedi Knight Anakin, and his accomplice, Jedi Master Obi-Wan, to return immediately to address the issue."

Anakin gave a chest-rattling growl, the yellow sulphuric gas beginning to leak from the corners of his mouth again; Obi-Wan placed what he hoped was a calming hand on a velvety bicep.

"I was unaware that Togruta could become beasts?" Chief Yi'hadds pulled a holo-pad out of force knows where and began typing away, a confused lilt to her head.

"They can not, my Chief, that is merely a term the Jedi use. Master refers to the teacher and padawan to the student." Mafav seemed to relax, now that they weren't under the scrutiny of their leader.

"Ahh," Chief Yi'hadds sighed, looking entirely too put out about the whole ordeal, "it goes against my better judgment to let such an unruly beast leave without going through the basic reconditioning. But this alliance is instrumental to our expansion, so it seems out of my hand."

She glanced at Obi-Wan, he tried to hide his glee about returning home, and sighed once again.

"Thank you for the hospitality, but, as we are urgently needed, I believe this is where we say goodbye." He couldn't, however, keep the smug tone out of his voice. Which he could reasonably assume that Chief Yi'hadds had noticed if the sneer she shot him was anything to go by.

Mafav lead to their ship after Obi bid the Chief and Mush a very ecstatic farewell, Anakin slowly but surely shifting back to his human form. And the farther from the beast he got, the more exhausted Obi-Wan felt, but it was distant like it wasn't his own. And after everything that happened in the span of however long they were planet-side, it most likely wasn't

_ Just a little longer, Anakin, we'll be home soon. _

** _ Maaaassssteer... _ **

Obi-Wan startled at the hissed voice in his head and looked to Anakin, who looked like a horrific mix of his normal self and the beast; one leg still bent unnaturally but average length, one large, black arm dragging on the ground. Every step Anakin took, Obi could hear the creak and crack of his darling's bones.

Soon. Soon the two of them would be home and finally have time and a little peace to figure this out, so long as the Council didn't find out first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short chapter. just to tide yall over while i get caught up with college :} :} :}  
Check out my personal, og work "In the end, we shall thrive" on my page

**Author's Note:**

> go check out polarspaz on tumblr their fucking great!!  
here's the link to the wiki je'daii page https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Je%27daii_Order


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